Faustian Bargain
Beach Volley-Bomb She sighed as she sat at the beach bar. Years had passed since that group's destruction and she still hadn't found anything meaningful to do. It didn't help that stupid thing kept talking to her. "Shut up already, it's like all you do is talk. Find something else to do already," she snapped. Other patrons edged away from her, giving the embittered woman a wide berth. It, often called Curse, piece of shit, cunt, and a multitude of other colorful names laughed. "You know it's not a good look to cuss at no one in particular. It makes you look craaazy. Unless you want the whitecoats to come and take you away. Sad part is they won't be able to help" it commented, chuckling again as Yesenia growled. "Besides, you need to find something to do other than mope all day. Have a drink or something, reminisce about the good ole days when you and I were separate, rampage and kill some civilians. Level up your bounty and make some noise. DO SOMETHING. You're killing me with boredom here." "Would that actually kill you? Cause I'd love some peace and quiet, free of you rattling on and on about how many people you've killed or driven mad. Besides, I don't care what you say your reasoning is, you killed my family tramp." "You mean, thank you oh kind and benevolent devil fruit for bestowing upon me the ability to take my life in my own hands, freeing me of my treacherous kin," it retorted, pushing lightly against Yes's mind, only to find a bristling, hostile wall. It grinned, as Yes downed another drink. "You wouldn't have lasted a day anyway. You're too mouthy and hard-headed. You would have fucked over some Celestial Dragon who bought you and had yourself killed within the hour. Hell, you might have killed the noble and went out in a blaze of glory. As fun as that might be, I'd like to be tangible a bit longer. You don't know how shitty of a time it is waiting for someone to eat you." "And I don't care you selfish bitch," Yes commented before turning to the gawking bartender who then pretended to be busy, "yo, bring me the strongest drink you have. I need a tonic. Don't think I didn't see you a few moments ago." She sighed again, unamused. After this drink she was done with this bar and these ogling, whispering patrons. "Let's massacre them before we leave," the df suggested, hopeful. "No." As Durga heard and saw those useless meddlers hassling Yesenia with their ogles, she felt a sliver of empathy for the green-haired, crimson-eyed young woman. Mainly because she too tended to be an object of undesired gawking, especially in occasions when she was required to go undercover and take some good battle gear to scare the crap of fools, and even more so for she was wearing a one-piece swimsuit, which while not exactly form-fitting, it was not the most conservative kind of garment. If that was not a normal beach- bar but a proper haven for mercenaries, she would just tower over most people and send glares that would make sea kings cry for whatever monstrosity had spawned them; alas, being professional often requires sacrifices of the most bothersome kind. Public beaches were not exactly places were too off: too noisy, too stinky, and the water itself was boring and muddy and lacking interesting fauna, a far cry from the sapphire prairies and towering waves roaring in the deepest oceans. How could anybody endure the crowd, even to spend time reading under an umbrella, it was beyond her ability or interest to comprehend. The closest thing that would make this environment somewhat tolerable would be the presence of some adorable, little doggy, splashing their tail in the seafoam, or helping children building sandcastles. Weak people, mediocre activities and sand crawling in everything: boring, boring boring! As boring as the beachball match she was conducting with some bystanders to help better blend into the environment and set the next stage of her plan. They were overall nice people, if a wholly unremarkable bunch, except for the one or two sexist pigs she would have loved to brutalize in a dressing room or left near drowned in the sea when nobody could look at. Still, awfully unfit to compete in a battlefield or in a beachball field, for, while holding back to a tremendous degree and closing most of her RNA-E superior senses, she was still winning every match all but by herself. Her services aced on every turn, her passes never missed a mark, and there was no move from the other team she could not effortlessly see through and counter. In a pathetic display of courage and sportsmanship, her opponents gave one hundred percent and still were barely able to make a single point. To make things “better“, they even decided to shuffle their teams every now and then. It resulted in Durga standing fresh as a rose among tired and battered players, some of which- the assholes- sporting bruises all the way. An absolutely perfect predicament for the next move. Puffing and limping, a member of the opposite team gave an extremely weak service, a move that Durga could parry with her eyes closed and her legs tied. Instead, she observed the ball taking a leap forward, crossing over the net and threatening to plummet squarely in the corner of the sand court, while always aiming at Yesenia at a corner of her eyes. A blow she could normally take like candy, but this time she waited for the distance to shrink, and shrink, getting so close only a dive could it. She flew only when she assessed the perfect trajectory, hitting the ball with her elbow and hoisting herself up with two fingers so that not a grain of sand would slip through her swimsuit. With that, the ball went off the rail, bouncing outside the service zone and rocketing toward the bar, where it struck down the liquor in the exact moment the bartender had it slammed onto the table. “Sorry, sorry!” Durga shouted from her, feigning guilt over the accident with a very convincing tone. Maybe because she was actually a bit guilty about it. After asking a timeout, she run to Yesenia for a proper apology, forcing a rasp in her breath to make her sound as tired and remorseful as possible. “I am sorry… so sorry about that…” her eyes were glimmering, a beginning of tears. “I… am so clumsy something. I am going to pay you a more expensive drink, I swear”. Durga bowed down, offering a hand in friendship, trying to contain vomit for all the stupid onlookers that were surely taking advantage of the position and peek at her fairly generous glutei. Yesenia stared at the volleyball sitting in front of, the shattered remains of her drink spread across the bar in front of her. She turned her head as she heard an individual spewing out apologies in rapid fire fashion. She simply raised an eyebrow; I guess the broken drink was the world's way of saying it was time to go. She started to get up. "It's fine. I was done after that drink anyway," Yes responded tartly as the df tsked in her mind. "Well well, look at that fine lady coming to apologize to you. A statuesque beauty if I ever saw one. You should get her snail mail number or something. She's too fine to leave alone." it commented mentally, fully enjoying the view. "For once in your life, could you not be a lecherous piece of shit?" Yes snapped back. "You know you love it.." it grinned. Yes flipped it off mentally, before realizing the woman was still bowing, hand extended as tears began falling. "Ehh??? Stop it, that's nothing to cry over. It was literally one drink; that shit was trash anyway. I only wanted it for the alcohol content," she commented, standing fully now before taking Durga by the hand. Truth be told, the bastard devil fruit was right about the profusely apologizing volleyballer being tall. Moreover, she was confused; it was the first time someone had apologized to her about something in seemingly ages. Yesenia couldn't help the suspicion that rose, though she did her best to push it down. She sighed. "Fine. One drink. Then I'm out of this hellhole." “Great,” Durga flipped to a far more chipper demeanor, perhaps a bit too abruptly. “A pint of whiskey for the lady right here. I am offering!” She said to an excessively happy bartender, shrugging off his ogling at her chest and putting some money on the table. “Well, I’ve not presented myself very well: my name is Tania, and I am a passerby athlete enjoying some moments of rest. What is your name?” Whilst she presented herself, Durga noticed a strange switch glimmering in Yesenia’s eyes, a red brilliance glowing strong in moment as the two women were conversing with one another. A glimmer that made Yesenia’s nod her head and squint her eyes. Such a strange reaction, almost as if the green-haired woman had inner desires floating just below the surface that she was desperately trying to repress, an enormous lust belied by a rather unassuming and mousy look. An interesting circumstance, if so, to which Durga’s eyes responded with a glimmer just as fierce and fiery, despite their cerulean palette. "Whiskey? Now there's a drink I haven't had in a minute. Sure, I'll take a pint," Yes responded, sitting back down. She couldn't help but remain suspicious given how quickly the woman changed her tune. It was weird. "Stop playing mind games with yourself. It's unbecoming," it commented, earning a rabid "SHUT UP!" on the mental plane. "Hey, just trying to keep you from looking like a fool in front of bae." "Can you quit it? You're not helping matters by being a tramp, so for once in your miserable existence shut up," Yes retorted, glowering. She realized the woman had said something. "Tania?? My name's Nia, nice to meet you I guess. You could call me a drifter of sorts; been that way for a while now." "Well, hope you can stay at least for a bit". Liquor was put right on her left, and she gave it to Yesenia; an odd buzz was made the moment Durga's fingers tapped on it, yet it was so light to be nigh-impossible to properly pin down. "Things ain't so bad after all. Climate is nice, people are decent. Sure, could have been a lot better: those guys I am playing beachball with are kinda run-of-the-mill. Even though I've finished my training schedule, I can't help but always starve for challenges". Her free fist bulged while she clenched it. She looked at the glimmer once more, which had assumed an almost disturbing hue in its intermittence; had she found her face a bit too forced at times? Or was she secretly longing for violent intercourse for the ages? Durga could not discern for sure but was more and more interested. Regardless, there were no slip-ups or shifts in tone in Durga one could deduce a weirdness, cause she was telling something quite close to the truth, if rather sugarcoated. For once, the thrice-damned df listened. She took the drink Tania paused to her, eyeing it for several long seconds. "Meh, this place is too noisy for me. I like my thinking spots surrounded by nature and rustic goodness. This," Yes responded, finally deciding to take a sip, "isn't it." She would then down the rest, placing the empty pint on the bar. "So you're a thrill-seeker. Always looking for the next challenge. Sounds fun I guess. I just need some peace and quiet to get my life together. Figure out what's next you know?" Yes added, her suspicion abating just a bit. With glistening eyes due the microprocessors instilled in her ocular system, Durga saw the seastone-laced nanomachines flushing through Yesenia's throats and quickly spreading through her circulatory system like a swarm of fireflies. Trillions of constructs smaller than a cell which, once the signal was triggered, would have activated in an instant and poured poison so lethal it could kill a person in less than 3.2 seconds. The most crucial part of Durga's mission was completed, the that would ensure the swift and immediate death of Yesenia and the overtaking of her unique and powerful fruit. Nonetheless, that was one but a possible outcome of their encounter: Durga was given orders either to murder the former pirate so to collect her bounty, or to convince her to join the organization,. An option which Durga found much more preferable, as Yesenia seemed to be neither cruel nor unreasonable and Durga had no pleasure in taking the life of a good person. Pleasure, however, was irrelevant in the Iron Legion's philosophy; if push came to show, the legionnaire would have activated her machine and let Yesenia drop suffocated on the floor, bulging veins and bloodshot eyes, without batting an eyelash. An opportunity for a peaceful route was given by the results of Durga's eye-scanning, for, alongside the monitoring of the nano-virus, she noticed a rather strong spike of blood circulation right in her... erogenous zones. Sigh. With each passing day, the wish of asking for secondary genetical treatments to make her less attractive grew stronger and stronger; at least, the woman in front of her was objectively a good looking specimen and a seemingly polite one, unlike that funny, but raging pervert of Cynthia. So, better shrug her shoulders and leverage such influence in a proper manner. "What a lovely picture!" Durga's pitch got a notch higher. "I too have spent the last few days in a place like that: the cliffs of Mercury, where sea spreads quiet like a pool of crystal 'till as far as the eye can see and always blows a gentle breeze of aromatic herbs, myrth and salvia. A little corner of Paradise". Like before, a large portion of truth with some tiny omission: Durga was enjoying the quiet flushing of the waves immensely... while also preparing for a battle against a New World pirate that would have probably wrecked such corner of paradise. "It was my teacher that brought me out of peace, to spend sometimes among people. Y'know, he's the kind of sociable person who thinks that quietness and meditation are great for a while, but human interactions are the true test of your moral and mental capabilities. That alone would make you grow". She gave off such phrase like a lecture, somewhat imitating what her sensei was used to say, which was exactly the phrase he had used to convince her to embark on this mission and play volleyball rather than launch a snake attack on Yes the moment she moved from civilization. She could almost see him giving thumbs up... literally, cause the man wasn't far from there, gorging on camions of snow cones and playing marbles with other bathers. Durga sauntered a bit toward Yesenia, which movements that every so slightly accentuated the swaving of her hips. "Ya'know, I actually see you could make a decent volley ball player. Slender, strong but not overtly buff arms..." Her arm glently slid close to Yesenia's neck, giving playful thuds on her shoulder blades. "Good shoulders". Durga got closer to the shorter, green-hair woman, and she got very close to the former's chest. The legionnaire gave of a jiggle of genuine jest. "Would you like to play a beachball match with me? Y'know, just for fun". She stared at her empty pint. "Sounds like your teacher is pretty wise. Still, people are annoying. I'd rather spend some quiet time on some distant outcrop than deal with people all day," Yes commented, gesturing towards the still ogling crowd. Her killing intent spiked, causing more than a few them to look away. It settled shortly after. "A decent volleyball player? I've never played volleyball a day in my life," Yes retorted, flinching a bit at the shoulder blade taps. Maybe that teacher of Tania's was right about needing to get out more. "You don't say.....I mean, when's the last time you slept with anyone? Hmmm? It's important to maintain an active lifestyle, whether its a nice massacre or a tumble in the sheets," it commented cheekily, before nodding sagely. "Do you ever think about anything besides fucking, fighting, and murder?" Yes snapped back. "Why would I? Nothing else matters. Romance? Walks on the beach? Working? Please." "You're a hopeless piece of shit." "Love you too honey bunches." "Fuck off." Yes sighed, still weighing the last bit of suspicion on her mind. Not that it mattered. "Fine. I'll play, just one game. Expect it to be over shortly though; like I said, no experience." Durga’s lips curved in a big, satisfied grin; jittering for the excitement, she almost slapped her chest against Yesenia’s head. “Great, damn great! Don’t’ worry about not knowing the rules, I’ll explain to you everything you need to know. Trust me: it is gonna be fun-tastic”. Taking the green-haired woman by the hand, Durga leaped off from the bar, dragging Yesenia with her. The sun bathed both, revealing a tall net standing and many men and women drenched in sweat- some of the covered in bruises- gasping and hunched all over, barely standing together. “Hey people, is anybody there willing to spar with my friend here? She could be even better at the game that I am”. People began to stare at each other, then they stared back at Durga, then they politely refused the gauntlet citing relatives and friends calling them from very, very far and left the court all for the two women alone. “Seems there are only two us”. Said Durga, picking up a ball and balancing it on two fingers. “So, the rules will be a bit different to accommodate the factor. First of all, as you can see, beach volleyball is played in a squared court divided by a net hanging on the center. The main aim of the game is hurling the ball above the net from your side and make it land in the half of the opposition, while not allowing your opponent to send the ball in your half. The game always begins with a move called “service”, which is to hit the ball while standing outside the court”. She moved beyond the court boundaries to demonstrate the point. “Like this”. Durga launched the ball a few or two taller than her head, perfectly straight, took a small leap and slammed the ball with her left hand. The ball flew over the net and struck the sand court right in the opponent’s corner. “If that was a match, I would have scored a point; the first party that gets 25 points with a two points-margin wins a set. The receiver party can intercept the ball before it hits the ground, but they have to stand still until the service is completely. Once the rally begins, there is a back and forth between teams until somebody gets to land the ball in the others’ half. However, it doesn’t mean you must launch the ball in the opponent’s half all the time: you can perform some other moves as to “control” the ball, so to speak, in order to make easier for you to land and/or more difficult for the other team to stop you. Normally, given that beach volley works with teams, there are several players each set on a different position, executing a different strategy that often results in dinking the ball close to the net. Everybody gets to hit the ball once, and a team can only have three strikes before it has to send the ball in the other court; given that there are only the two of us, we should scrap the first rule and give each of us three hits before attacking. As a final rule, a team can get points either if they successfully ground the ball into the other half of the court, or the opponents screw up in some other way: for example, by landing the ball outside the court, hitting it more than three times before an attack, or having the ball pass below the net. Hitting the upper part of the net is permissible, but whoever it falls, it gives the other team a point. Every rally ends when a team scores a point, and the victor of each rally gets to serve. Have I explained myself correctly?” “Really good explanation, dear”. A voice boomed, suddenly interrupting Tania. With that, a massive figure made his presence manifest in a way just as swift and explosive, leaving clouds of sands wafting in his wake. The legendary Boar Guru, Namgang D. Dazang, had suddenly appeared in all its mammoth girth and numerous oil stains for having devoured more clam spaghetti than a troupe of ravenous tourists from Elbaf. The corpulent man greeted himself politely to Yes, bowing down to the minute woman. “I was passing by, and I am pleased to have my Tania finding a challenge that she thinks it can satisfy her, especially from a novice. I hope you can have some fun: I could be the arbiter of the match and give you some teaching about the more proper moves and maneuvers in volleyball if you wish so”. Yesenia found herself towed along without warning, managing to keep her feet under her as they left the bar with all haste. She paused as they reached their destination, staring at the bruised and sagging individuals huddled around. The woman remembered Tania was playing here earlier, and seemed no worse for the wear. "What the hell did you to them?" she asked, suspicious spiking once more even as she listened the volleyball instructions. Yes watched the other would be players scatter like mice. "Don't hype me up; I've never played before." However, as she prepared herself for this matchup (sighing inwardly at what she signed herself up for), another voice chimed in. "Who in th-" Senia found herself staring at a gargantuan, bloated figure which towered over the proceedings. The smell of clam spaghetti was pungent, causing Yes to wrinkle her nose. "You know this guy?" "IT'S A TRAP. I KNEW SHE WAS TOO GOOD-LOOKING. No one can have nice things these days." it said, bemoaning the change in events. Durga gave a sideway glance to his master. "Nia, I present you Nando, my volleyball teacher. The man you addressed as wise a few minutes ago". "Have just you called me wise?" Asked Dazang, before rupturing in a powerful laugh from the depth of his bellow. "Well, I am very flattered about that, Nia; this is not the first adjective that comes to mind when it comes to describing a large, untidy pig stinking of clam spaghetti. By the way, you should try those at the Sea Capriccio, they are absolutely delicious. Nonetheless, this big man knows a trick or two about volleyball, which I’d be glad to teach you. If you don’t know any rules, you may get hurt if you don’t play the proper way.” He pointed to the still strolling and barfing clique of ex beach-volley players. “Tania tends to get a bit… enthusiastic when it comes to playing. I’ve told her many, many times she needs some more self-control when sparring with newbies, but she tends to overdo it. Something tells me you’ll be fine, though, but some more practice has never hurt anybody, and it can make the game far funnier. You may need an arbiter, also, of which I can provide”. Dazang’s tone was friendly and polite, and genuinely so; yet half of his mind was directed with Durga, directing a parallel conversation between minds by interweaving their spirits with Kenbunshoku and a sprinkle of nanomachines. “''For Heavens’ sake, Durga, couldn’t hold you back a bit more when playing with normal people, they all came to have fun and now they require a good chiropractor. I think I’ll be quite busy fixing their posture and mend their bruises after that''”. “''I will try, Dazang-sensei''”, the woman addressed in his superior in a formal, reverent manner. “''I find objectively difficulty to endure such level of mediocrity when it comes to agonistic activities. All of them should try a ten to twelve hours training regime before even considering playing volleyball in the first place. And some of them should really stop making comments about my chest and rear''”. She mentally spat with venomous intent, at which Dazang repressed a sigh. He agreed with Durga about the gawking fools, though. “''Dear Durga, people find times of leisure useful precisely because it does not necessarily involve training and competition. Pull your mind and body constantly and with no rest, and it will just break apart''”. “''Weak bodies do break apart. Weak minds, unfit to greatness. Results come only with utter dedication, no distractions whatsoever''”. The large man almost rolled his eyes inside their sockets; they had had this conversation time and time again, all with near fruitless results. He hoped Durga could at least have some genuine fun with this match, and Yesenia could too. However, he could sense a shadow of doubt passing over her unusually pale face, and lack of trust coming from both her… and the other. While Dazang’s gaze looked serene and placid, unperturbed like a pool of water in a day without wind, it penetrated to souls like few others, unveiling secrets and grasping the essence of every soul falling before him. Inside Yesenia’s body, he could find two spirits: one belonging to a scarred girl, a woman who desperately yearned for trust and love… and a manifestation of blood lust incarnate, jealousy and passion. Perfect preys for the claws of the Legion, and for that he felt real pity. “So, Nia, what’s your answer?” Said Dazang, masquerading his inner turmoil with a chipper demeanor, letting none of the regret outisde. Yesenia continued to stare at the massive figure, noting his unflappable disposition. "Well, it was sound advice your gave her so it made sense to say that," she commented, "Nice to meet you Nando." "Well this is kind of fucked. Seems like a nice guy, but that lady over there....she lying through her teeth. I sense a cold one; now, I don't mind myself a cold lass, but she'd probably break you in half and call it breakfast. Momma told me to never fuck crazy," the devil fruit commented. "How can you even have a mom? You're a fucking devil fruit with a bad attitude," Yes shot back, irritated. "Everything has to come from somewhere young grasshopper; you will learn this on your quest for peace and acceptance." "Shut your dumb mouth." "HAH. Joke's on you, I don't have a mouth!" It snickered. "Fuck you." "I would love to, but it's hard when we're the same person." "ARRRRGHHHH." Yesenia refocused, seeing Dazang waiting expectantly. Despite him seeming so calm, was that....pity she felt? Yes wasn't sure, so she brushed it aside. "I'll do it. It's probably going to be 25-0 in her favor and I'm pretty sure I'm going to hate every second of it, but I'd like to think my word actually means something," she said finally, her gaze still narrowed. “Don’t be so pessimistic, child!” The mammoth man’s massive belly rippled with another sonorous laugh.”Beginners often gets the lion share in terms of fun. I guarantee you that just getting this new skills will be a very rewarding experience. If passion stirs up strong enough, you won’t care about winning or losing: actually, facing worthy opponents will fill you with even more happiness, whether the results may be”. Dazang took a ball from the court, which he enveloped with just one of his own enormous hands, and gave a quick throw to Yes. “Let’s begin, then”. She doubted that would be the case, as Yesenia saw the intense, competitive glare Tania was giving the ball. However, Yes kept such opinions to herself, doubting they would do her any good at this point. Catching the ball, she walked to her side of the court. If Nia remembered correctly, she must be behind the line. Waiting for Tania to reach her position on the opposing side, the woman wondered why she had agreed to this. "Because you like being hard on yourself." "Oh for chrissakes fuck off." "Can't. I'm stuck with you honey bunches." Outwardly, she locked in. "Here goes. Please don't laugh." She tossed the ball upwards, the sun glinting off its surface as it crested before falling earthward. Yesenia jumped as it closed in, left arm outstretched as she smacked the ball. It flew forward, just over net as it went to Tania. "And we're off folks." Durga beamed at the falling ball as it leaned closer to her court. Half of her mind delved in all sort of calculations regarding the “when” and “where” the ball would ground, with precision splitting the microsecond and the micrometers. The other half observed Yesenia’s figure, basked in the crimson hue of sunset, arching to strike a blow. A good sight, overall: excellent balance, great fluidity, more than adequate precision. The only fault she could find was a lack of power, but it was surely due to the former pirate pulling its punches. That was the easier part to correct. The mammoth teacher, taking place on the corner, watched the rally with similar amusement; his belly jiggled once more. “Why should we be laughing at? A really good beginning for a rookie. Now pay attention to what Durga is doing to counterattack”. As the blow hovered rather close to the net, Durga leaped forward while keeping a hunched figure. Keeping her hands gripped together, close to the thumb, she made a platform with her arms that rose a bit when the ball struck it. “This is a “dig” or a “bump””. Explained Dazang. “A move made to counter the ball if it goes below your head. Keep in mind two things, Tia: 1) strike the ball with your elbow to direct it whenever you wish, either to attack or to set; 2) don’t waive your arms excessively: the strength must come from your legs.” The ball rose upwards, perfectly straight above Durga. While it plummeted down, the woman hoisted herself up, and welcomed the ball by joining the hands above the forehead. Again, her calves sprung forth as her fingertips made a contact, imprinting an upward motion to the sphere. “This, instead, is called “volley” or “overhand set””. Explained Dazang. “As the name implies, the purpose of this move is to direct the ball close to the net for the partner to attack. Now Nia, pay attention to the next move. Tania is going to perform a “spike” close to the net. You need to block it”. Durga stared at the ball’s descent with a flare in her eyes; she almost looked like predator waiting for a moment of vulnerability in her tips. She licked her lips, leapt at the ball, and snapped her arm in a downward slam. Hovering for a split second over the net, the ball began spinning with his insane pace, blurred in a mass of brown. Wind rose around, rippling across the court and almost tearing down the threads of the net like a spider web. After such fraction of time, it lanced the air like a flash, aimed at a lump of sand about Yesenia’s feet on her right. Yesenia tried watching as carefully as she could, marking the motions, the placement, and the angles used by Tiana. All of them seemingly made sense; one brought the ball under control, the other gave it the position Tiana was looking for. However, what caused her to gulp internally was the strike. Alternating between his voice and the advancement of the first game, she had scarcely noticed the wind-up. However, she felt the sudden breeze pick up, seeing the ball however over the net for a half-second before barreling forward like a battering ram. He expected her to block something like that?? He was out of his mind. All she could do was shift her weight as it flew to her right, forming the cradle as she dove. Yes caught enough of the ball to send it skyward once more, its spherical figure blotting out the sun while she ate sand. Alas, there was no time to celebrate as it came flying down like a falling star. She scrambled to her feet, positioning herself for a small overhand set. "I need a tonic." Already? You just started. You try catching a ball like that. That shit would kill a person. Challenge accepted. Cold beauty here I come!!!! The switch was reflected in her expression as she tapped the careening ball forward, a few hairs away from the net. The devil fruit concentrated blood flow in the woman's legs before launching skyward. For a second, it was just the df and the ball, it hovering in front of the net in wait before Yesenia clobbered it forward, the ball hissing as it sliced through the wind to Tiana's side. With her eyes always pointed at Yesenia and the ball, Durga leap at the direction the ball would land. Coming close by net and jumping eye level to the green haired woman, she whipped her arm sideways to intercept the incoming attack. Tania could feel the air pressure already churning her arms and hair, hear the blood rushing and explode throughout Yes’ veins. Splendid, splendid. Moreover, her rival was finally giving a gaze worthy of her crimson eyes, ones glimmering with passion and determination, a gaze absent in any of the mediocre players she has faced and smashed on the court sand. That was gaze finally worthy of a true warrior, one that does not back down against challenges, but takes arms and bravely charges against the storm. That was the spirit of sportsman, a champion… a Legionnaire. Durga’s face morphed in a mask of pure of enjoyment. Durga slammed her wrist against the ball, her hand wide opened. The force of Yesenia’s spike met Durga’s iron defenses, sending ripples throughout the Legionnaire’s body. Durga giggled with pleasure feeling a blow at least as strong as the one she had shot before, slowly and slowly pushing back her arm and coming close to slip and land in her court. With her muscles tightened in pole of metal, Durga mustered much more strength, still not enough to fully block the assault. A wiser choice would have been to oppose less resistance and profiting of this chance to slowly redirect the ball’s trajectory sideways, landing on Yesemia’s left. Durga didn’t want to do that, however, she so was riled up by the challenge that her one desire was to utterly overpower Yesenia’s strike with her own. To do so, she slammed the free arm onto the blocking in a crossing motion, propping up her defenses with a second strike. A ring of air burst out from the collision, the ball maddening rotation inverting its course. Charged up, the ball thundered through the opposite side of the court, hurled with such force that glints sparkled on its path. Durga fell down on the sand, unable to keep the guard up for the time being, trying to hoist herself up with a somersault. Lacra shook her head as soon as she saw this take place. Logic would have dictated redirecting the blow back, using the ball's momentum against itself. Instead, Tiana fielded it, giggling. Yes, giggling. "This bitch is mental." Yesenia commented. "Damn, and she was such a cutie..fuck. Someone play a sad song." "Play your own fucking sad song." Lacra refocused as she saw Tiana wind up for a second strike on the ball that she somehow fielded. Yeah, there was no way in hell she was human. No human did shit like that. A small boom confirmed that as the ball ripped back to her side. Did Lacra want to get in front of a strike like that? Hell no. However, how she repositioned herself after recovering from her own strike made it impossible to avoid. Not without looking like a coward anyway. Why did it feel like that would be a bad thing? Pride? No. Cause their asses were being watched. So here Cra went, forming the cradle as she spread her legs, grounding herself. As soon as the ball arrived, she moved the cradle, catching it on her crossed arms, the force of the rapidly spinning ball digging into them while pushing her back to the edge of her court. "Come on....." she bit her lip as she felt the rapidly moving ball peel skin away. Pushing large amounts of blood into her arms, she finally sent the ball skywards, momentum turning it into a tiny dot in the sky. She plopped backwards, falling on the sand, not even caring as the she heard the whistle of the ball finally arching and coming down. Taking stock Lacra realized her arms were bleeding, too many layers of skin rubbed away. "You fucking idiot. You had one job. All you had to do was avoid that ball. I don't care how cowardly it looked; I want to be in one piece dickhead." "Hey, we still have a chance with her, so I had to make sure we didn't look like a shrimp." The ball pounded the sand as it landed once more, creating a blinding wave of minerals upon impact. Back of her half still sprawled on the ground, Durga got barely the time to watch the ball plod on the court, hearing its faint thudding across the carpet of sand. Ten inches close to her face, which could only mean... "Point to Yesenia!" Dazang underscored, stretching his arm in her direction. Truth-Telling Durga got back to her feet and shook off sand from her swimsuit piece. Her chipper smile was still plastered on her face, for even though being bested in a rally stung a bit, the happiness of having faced down a stronger opponent overcame everything. She lifted the ball from the court, and balled it a bit to remove any trace trace of dust. "See, I told ya! You're a natural talent at the game, you stood up two of my best shots and came out at the top!" She jiggled. Then her eyes fell on Yesenia's, face up from the ground, breathing at the top of her lungs. She noticed two red stains smearing across her arms, tatters of skins hanging close to them. "A-are you hurt?" Almost by reflex, a drop of concern came through, for which the woman immediately berate herself. Pushing the former Pirate to the limits of her mental and physical capacities was the very purpose of this charade, the reason why all this game had begun in the first place instead of leaving her drop dead with the nano-poison having reached its critical points- an act of mercy, so to speak, for more that she had given to many other people. Besides, the question was really stupid from an objective point of view: the depth of her breath, the sheens on sweat on her face and palms and the crimson bruises draping her arm made the state of arm self evident. "It's all right to feel concern for Yesenia. If things go as we hope for, she's gonna be our comrade, after all". Dazang's voice echoed within her mind, while the big man strode by the fallen red eyed woman. A sentiment which Durga would normally find excessively sappy in the big man, but she had no argument to dispute against it in such occasion. "Hold on, Nia, I know how to make you feel better". The corpulent man addressed the young woman as he approached. He held up Yesenia with a single arm, which made her frame even smaller compared to his corpulent frame, with surprising tenderness. The other palm hung above her in a gesture that resembled a blessing. With a slow, humming tone, Dazang begun a chant. His palms were lit in a soft light, a golden hue seemingly arising from a thousands of billowing particles, and so were his eyes, shimmering behind his mask. With every word of his prayers, new flesh grew and spread over Yesenia's bruisers, giving it back the tender and pale hue of her skin. Once it was finished and the light vanished completely, it was like no injury had ever happened, even her breath was continuing to a normal pace. Dazang helped the younger woman getting herself up at her feet, before returning back to his corner. "First of all, Nia, I give you mad props for the outstanding determination and ingenuity you have poured in such rally. It takes great courage facing down such a strong, experienced competitive opponent like Tania and overcoming her cannonballs. I suppose there a more than a few questions you would like to ask us". He said, shrugging on his shoulders, with genuine appreciation, yet also a measure of sadness, for as much as inevitable it was the step of coercition, it did not make the act any more palatable for the hermit. Lacra stood up on shaky legs. Why was she feeling like this? This didn't normally happen when either of them used their devil fruit, nor when they completed a switcheroo. Something was off...but what? "You think? First question. Her." she points to Tiana. "Last time I checked humans aren't that strong. That counter strike could have lopped someone's head off, broken some ribs, maybe even leave a nice gaping hole in the chest area. That's giant strength right there," she commented. "Second of all, who are you two really? I mean, it's one thing to buy me a drink after knocking over my own, but then you dragged me out here for a volleyball match that felt more like dodgeball, a game that was more a test. Why you're testing me I don't fucking know, but here we are." "Maybe she wants to see if you're a worthy bedfellow. She don't want no weak woman,"'' Yesenia quipped. '''"Oh so now you wanna fire shots at me? Bitcchh." "Takes one to know one." "Is that honesty I hear? OH MY GOSH. She's telling the truth!" "Shut the fuck up." Even as this mental conversation set Lacra at ease a bit, she couldn't help but note how distant Yes sounded, almost like a wall was erected between them. Weird. "So. Do you want to explain what stunt you pulled? Cause I'm not feeling too hot, even after your voodoo chant. And I was perfectly fine before this game started." As if on a reflex, she attempted to call up her blood; again, it felt off..weaker. "Well?" Dazang and Durga glanced toward each other, nodding their head at unison. With the commencement of the second part of their procedure, it was time to bring the conversation to a "level" indescreet hears could not eavesdrop them, not even by chance. With a tap on their arm, they activated the nanomachines deputed to mental conversation. Machines that were now present inside Yesenia's bodies, alongside the deadly poison that would have wasted her body at a mere glance. "Marques Yesenia," Durga addressed the green haired woman with her true name to make abudantly clear that her real identity was of their domain. "We know what you are, your past, your power, your fame. We are members of the Iron Legion, and the purpose of this charade was to ascertain your fitness in joining our ranks. I communicate that our test has been concluded with positive results, and you have been deemed worthy of becoming a Legionnaire". "Hence why Durga playing volleyball like a bombardier. Not exactly the most subtle or proper way to conduct a fun game, but the perfect one to draw forth our determination". Dazang continued with his half assed mental tone. "The part about Durga being hyper-competive is on point regardless however, and so is your term of paragon in measuring her strength. You could have won your game, however, had she continued to play this reckless and overeliant on her physical parameters. You were the best player of the two, at least in this rally". Dazang comment stung a Durga a bit, though she could not deny the reality behind it. She let her master continuing his explenation, her cheeks flushing for a moment. "As for what I've done to you, my "vodoo" is an holy chant bringing forth the purest and most sublime of otherwordly essences to heal your mental and spiritual injuries. I can do it thanks to years of prayers, meditation and some good help from a Devil Fruit. Which makes me and you much more alike. I can also say we are alike in being close to the perfect peace of mind. To be honest, only a saint or a Bodhisattva could endure more than few minutes of such pervert, blabbering companion of yours without trying to strangle him for its nonense". He quipped with a surprise of amount of annoiance seeping through his thoughts. Or maybe not, given his personal history with Durga and the constant swarm of perverts buzzing around her, Lacra blinked as this conversation on the mental plane unfolded. "I knew you didn't swing by for her good looks," it commented by stiffening, "I'll have you know I am a highly valued companion of hers who keeps her best interests at heart." Yes yawned. "Like murdering my family?" Lacra shook its head. "I told you, they were sending you into slavery. Had a buyer lined up and everything. They were already discussing what they would buy with the money you gained them, how they would divvy up all of your things. They didn't give a shit about you, so I fucked them up. Excuse me for enjoying myself a bit too much." Yes ignored the response, refocusing on Durga and Dazang. Truth be told, she was rather uncomfortable after they said her name aloud. "So you knew who I was the entire time; let me guess, those names aren't your real names either. I don't know about you, but I never signed up for a recruiting venture. Hell, I didn't even fill out paperwork," she paused. "Worthy of being a Legionnaire? Who said I even want to join your gig? Not to be rude but don't you think you're being a little pushy and presumptuous?" Yes recalled her earlier suspicions at the bar. "As nice as it is to pass your tryout, which I didn't agree to, I generally like living on my own. Why should I join you people?" Yesenia continued before remembering Dazang's comment, "Yeah, "Dick" is a murderous, lecherous bitch, but it's as honest as they come." Lacra almost blushed. "Awwwwhh, I love you too Nia. Also, you never answered my earlier question. I felt off for a good minute there; still do. What the hell did you do to us?" In spite of itself, Cra was beginning to feel angry at the legionnaires. “Well”, Dazang tried to muster an answer, his index finger fidgeting ever so slightly “is not like we could just blabber out identity out to the public. Pseudo secret organizations have some strict standards about secrecy”. In truth, he agreed with the green-haired woman wholeheartedly; if their position were switched, he would have gladly never joined such nest of madness, cruelty and demented ambition called as the Iron Legion. Such place was a forgery of monsters, designed to destroy the humanity within their subjects and replace it with callous obedience to lofty, mechanical dreams. Unfortunately, he could do more than just figure out, for Dazang had walked exactly in Yesenia’s shoes, wishing the same peace she did and denying the offering when given. The results were not pretty. He would not allow that happen again. Flipping back to Durga, he noticed her hand creeping by the gauntlet, ready to activate in a given moment. A mere thought, and both Yesenia and her uncouth companion would be gone, sent to the dark road between atrocious torments. To avoid bloodshed, his so-called wisdom had to kick in really fast… “Marques Yesenia, you are an honest woman who values sincerity and honesty. If my dishonesty from before had somewhat offended you, I sincerely apologize”. Durga stated with complete and utter integrity. She was also staring at Yes with cold cerulean eyes, so dim they looked almost grey, showing the consummate killer behind the spirited competitor. “So, let me warn you, and bear in mind that this is my final: we of the Legion seldom accept “no” as an answer, and hardly ever in such predicaments. The drink I’ve given to you before the match was laced with nanomachines carrying a lethal poison. It would take me mere seconds to leave you drop dead on the floor without medical exams discovering a single thing. So, I shall give you ten seconds to reconsider your answer; should you persist in your rejection, your life shall be forfeit. 10… 9… 8…” Feeling the temperature of the sea breeze dropping to arctic tundra levels, Dazang put himself between the two women, shielding Yesenia from Durga’s killer disposition… and Durga from Yesenia’s and Lacra burst of rage and bloodlust. “I t-think a timeout is pretty in need Durga. We can’t expect her to join our ranks immediately after a death threat, don’t you think?” “I wish not to come to such solution, but I believe waiting more is useless. Unless you’ve got a better idea to convince her”. “Of course I do! Gimme some seconds”. Dazang was pretty much shouting at his point. Thank the heavens that his nanomachines were keeping the conversation hidden, and that onlookers would only see a big fatso flipping his hand back and forth like a weirdo. He turned back to Yesenia, his massive frame overshadowing her diminutive one. Though appearance would dictate that the man could snapped Yesenia like a twig- and so reality, perhaps- he approached the woman with a paternal concerned tone, offering his hand in friendships. “Yesenia, I know everything now sounds twisted, insane and dark… but please hear me on this: do not let your indignation or your partner's anger dictate your judgement on the matter. The Iron Legion is a powerful organization, powerful beyond your imagination. They’ve got not only enough manpower to subjugate entire countries, but technology so advanced it may look to you like sorcery or witchcraft. They can make your best dream come true, or bring about your worst nightmare; you and your angry partner are no match for them on your own”. Her temper flared as soon as she heard her drink was spiked. She should have known better than to accept a drink from a stranger; seems she was too comfortable nowadays. "Excuse me?? I don't think you understand who you're dealing with. I don't give two flying fucks about your pois-" she then found the looming figure of Dazang standing in front of her. She could feel Lacra's anger boiling quickly, the idea of being talked down to infuriating the devil fruit. "Oh really? Glad you noticed. I'm not a fan of warmachines, and that's what your little Iron Legion sounds like, especially the way she's talking," Yes jabbed a finger at the threatening Durga. "You expect me to just say yes after all that? Just because you're some "almighty force"? Don't play with me like that." Lacra meanwhile, fell silent at Dazang's last statement, its anger fizzling out. The best dream come true? The devil fruit knew Yesenia still despised it, even if they were on speaking/bickering terms now. It was better than the silent treatment the df personality had been subjected to for years, violent outbursts littered in between. "You know....they could probably give your life back..you wouldn't be saddled with me anymore. They probably give you a fruit that was worthy of you even.." Lacra started hesitantly. "And you think I'm just going to abandon you?" Yes fired back. "Isn't that what you always wanted? To be free of me?" "....." Eavesdropping on the conversation between Yesenia and that thing, Durga noticed at least part of Dazang's speech had rung a bell. Where threats might have been useless, desires could play a significant part in convincing the green-haired woman to join their ranks. Classic carrot-and-stick logic, one that had seldom failed the Legion, for their means were plenty, and nearly every person has a price. "Wishing to free yourself from your Devil Fruit? That is a request hardly anybody would make... but, after all, hardly anybody has to put up with a foul-mouthed companion constantly nagging in their mind". Durga gave a cold, rational assessment of the situation, shrugging off the former pirate's anger. Though, had Durga fully heard in detail what Lacra was thinking about her and in what terms, she would be the first to yell. "Marques Yesenia, if you wish to have your Devil Fruit removed as a price to join the Iron Legion, that'll be granted in no time. The Legion methods may seem extreme, but we treasure those whom we consider our friends with the same zeal we persecute those who defile us". ".........." Yesenia said nothing as she mulled it over. Truth be told, she had resigned herself to a life with this devil fruit; maybe, even maybe she was a little grateful to it, after finding the documents that proved what her family had in store for her. A life of servitude was not one she would tolerate. But now...this cult (she refused to think of it as anything else) was offering her a chance to be free of this irritating voice in her head. No longer bound to hearing it run its mouth incessantly, or subjected to the little nudges Lacra sent her way. It had tried takeovers several times in the early days, only to be brutally rebuffed. However, the exhaustion from all those years of fighting, of staving off this "devil heart" was now visible on her face. Tired....oh so tired. Her anger fizzled. "You expect me to believe you commute a life sentence? The only way out of this would be death. And then...that's it. I'm dead, you attain the devil fruit you wanted, and your 'glorious' legion marches on. Treasure? Eso es pendejadas," she retorted, slipping into her mother tongue for a second. Yet, the faint glimmer of hope could be seen in her eyes. "Well, actually you're not far off from the truth," Durga conceded. "But death won't be the end of it: the real kicker is that we can pull you back from oblivion. Wiping every trace of the DF from your genome is an incredibly easy process, once you get down the specifics." Though only the faintest gleam was visible from Durga's eyes, her sensors had not stopped analyzing Yesenia to find any piece information she could use. Blood pressure, perspiration, hormones: as grasping biological parameters could make a difference between life and death during a struggle, so their understanding could be crucial during negotiations. And what Durga perceived, behind all the anger, resentment and spite, was weariness and desire. A sliver of hope kept well hidden perhaps from Yesenia herself, yet impossible to fully deny or suppress. Yesenia truly wished to be free from the Fruit, free of a life of bickering with a demon nested inside your head, warring for every moment of quietness and peace. Durga knew she could barely resist a day with a foul-mouthed host making reprehensible, embarrassing comments at every turn. How many years the poor girl had got to endure such torture? "First, we get your heart to stop for enough time to get the Devil Fruit to respawn. Once you've crossed the threshold, we have means to pull your soul back to the world of livings and re-start your pulse." Durga began to explain. "Once the DF is respawned, you'll be subjected to gene therapy to eliminate every lingering presence of your DF from your genome. That second process is also very easy, despite how the daunting the task may appear to a profane". Durga strolled past Dazang, getting closer again to Yesenia. Her cerulean eyes dove deep into the crimson pools of the shorter woman, gazing at her deep insecurities lurking behind the scorn. "Cult or not, we of the Iron Legion care more about you than perhaps anybody in the world does. Think about that: would anybody else offer you the chance in a lifetime to get rid of your Devil Fruit? Would any bounty hunter offer you the opportunity of a job inside one of the most prestigious organizations in the world? She mulled over the new information provided to her by Durga, turning it over and over in her mind. The woman looked up, to find Durga towering over her once more. Yesenia met the woman's gaze steadily. Should she? Part of her considered how little she had to lose; if it failed, she'd be dead, and her saga would be finished. No one to mourn her. But if it worked....well, that'd be a new lease on life, though it'd be another the thumb of this...war machine. A war machine that planned on helping her; if only to achieve their own ends. Wasn't that the point of a contract though? Both sides benefited. Her eyes closed for a second before reopening. "I'll do it." "YEESSSSS!!!! I KNOW YOU WOULD DO IT! WELCOME ABOARD!" Durga let herself carried over by her own emotions, her joy overflowing from every pore of her body, as she came and wrapped firmly on Yesenia's body with a comradely hug. It lasted only a moment however, enough for both women to have their eyes met and cheeks flushing, while Dazang was all in "awwwwhh" mood. "I-I mean, as your senior in rank and experience, I give you my most sincere welcome in the Iron Legion." She corrected her shrills with few coughs. "As long as you prove yourself to be the loyal and steadfast comrade we've witnessed today, I promise you won't regret it". She hadn't anticipated the hug, finding herself sandwiched against Durga's frame. "Wow.....they're so soft...and luscious..GODS ABOVE." Leave it to the devil fruit to ruin a moment like this. It reminded her why she wanted to do this is in the first place. Still, Yes hadn't expected such a...warm welcome? This one didn't feel nearly as fake as the bar interaction. "Um....thanks I think?" Yes replied, still a bit off balance. "So uh....what now?" "Well, we must go to an Iron Legion's medical center." Said Durga. "The most secure one is quite far from here, in the treacherous shores of the New World. We've got means to reach in no time, however. Just follow us." The trio began to walk across the beach, leaving a bunch of bystanders puzzled for how much time they've spent standing still without talking. Noticing them, both Dazang and Durga hoped the new masquerade program with a "chit-chat" decoy function would come out soon. So, to not draw even more attention, they started talking about amenities like the weather and how half-seasons had become a dream of a bygone era. The dry, boring conversation continued until they had strolled past the beach resort, to the point where only a handful of umbrellas dotted the shoreline. Further still, an overhanging cliff abruptly cut down the sandy path, which they lept over with a single bound. Finding a walkable track once more, they surpassed a couple of smaller bays before the coastline shrunk down to a strip of road flanked on both sides by water. The lake-like pool on their left looked oozy and quiet, the seaweed on the bead floor giving off murky green hue. There weren't any humans, not the faintest echoes of their voices. Once again, Durga tapped onto her gauntlets, which emitted a wispy sound. A brighter, massive glow surged from the depths of the lagoon, a ball of light emerging from the depths of the water. The luminosity stopped an instant aspect; at its place, there was a hovering, metallic, disk of elongated proportions, large enough to accommodate at least ten people. An entrance opened on its surface, followed by a boardwalk landing right on Durga's feet. "This is the Legion's hovercraft," Durga began to explain to Yesenia. "A favorite fast traveling vehicle. Silent as a shadow, invisible when we wished to be, can fly at supersonic speed: in other words, perfect in every way when it comes to carrying out a stealth mission". "And they've got enough tuna tacos for three of us to eat for days. Trust me; every bite of those will make you sing gospels in your mother toungue." Dazang continued with a friendly poke on Yesenia's shoulder. Having picked up her pseudo-Spanish cadence, he figured out that her homeland's culinary calling might ring powerful for the lass. For the Guru, it was almost enough to pick up with his brother's rampant insanity. It was weird for her, talking like this (even if the conversation was faked for onlookers). Usually, the only person she was having a conversation with was the entity in her mind, as insufferable as it could be. Otherwise, she had become used to long stretches without talking to anyone. Part of her marked just how far they were walking, the beach, its tourists, and the resort soon in their rearview. "Just how far did they park....." she thought. "Far enough. You know how shady cults are; you think they'll use public parking? Com-" Lacra retorted before stopping as the ball of light emerged from the lagoon. "HOVERCRAFT? SICK. I WANT ONE." "Stop fanboying. Or is it fangirling? I don't even fucking know with you Mierda Loca. How do you even know about this anyway?" Senia snapped. Yes, she was looking forward to this operation, as foolish as it might be. "Cause I read" came the smug response. "Bitch." "Taco de atún? Where did you find the recipe for that?" she asked Dazang after he poked her. She then returned to studying the sleek machine. If there was anything pointing to the technology they bragged about having, this was it. "Where did you even come up with the idea for something like this?" Yes took a tepid step towards the boardwalk, followed by another, then another still. The hovercraft felt like something out of those sci-fi novels she heard about. Category:Great Achlus Category:Tabor gorilla